Securing device



. July 12,; 1938,. s. M. NAMPA SECURING DEVICE Filed Nov. 21, 1934 ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 12, 1938 FATE s r or ies SECURING DEVICE Sulo.M...Nampa, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The Worth Company, a corporation of Michigan Application: November 21,1934, Serial No. 754,014 2 Claims. (01. arc-223) This invention relates to car loading devices and it has particular relation-to a device forloading automobiles in freight cars for transporta tion purposes.

Particularly, the invention relates to an improvement in a car loading device such as is disclosed in the patent of Samuel D. Butterworth, No. 2,G79,930, granted May 11, 1937. In that patcut, a frame is pivotally connected to upper parts of the car by rods and is adapted to be moved from a position on the floor where it receives an automobile, into a semi-decking position and, when the freight car is to be used for other pur poses, to be moved into a position adjacent the roof. When the frame is in its semi-decking position, it is adapted to be supported by front and rear sets of brace rods pivotally connected to the frame and adapted to be connected at their lower ends to lower parts of the freight car. These rods are permanently connected to the frame and, when the latter is to be moved into its position adjacent the roof, are swung into alignment with the frame, in which positions the front rods are supported by hooks on the frame and the rear rods by hooks on one of the rods pivotally connecting the frame to the upper part of the car. The present invention is concerned with the mounting of the books on the last mentioned rods. It may be mentioned that it is important that the hooks be constructed of tempered steel so that after the brace rods are engaged thereby they will resiliently hold the brace rods against removal and necessarily it is important that these hooks be efficient and that they constantly possess the-resiliency desired. While the hooks might be welded to the tubular rods, it has been found that this destroys or removes some of the temper from the steel from which the hooks are manufactured and, for this reason, a welded connection is undesirable.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved means for connecting the hooks to the rods pivotally connecting the frame to the upper part of the freight car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of fastening the hooks to the rods in a permanent manner without requiring any welding of the hooks to the rods.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification, the drawing relating thereto and from the claims hereinafter set forth.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the drawing,'wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary View illustrating the frame, a rod for connecting the frame to the upper part of the freight car, the rear brace rod for supporting the frame in a semi-decking posi-- tion, and hook means for holding the brace rod on the first rod when the frame is to be moved into a position adjacent the roof.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View on a larger scale, taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View, taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of a clip employed for connecting the hook to the rods.

Referring to Fig. 1, the rear end of the automobile supporting frame is indicated at Ill and this end of the frame is pivotally connected to upper parts of the car by means of telescopic rods I2. When the frame is in its semi-decking position and an automobile is supported thereon, the rear end of the frame is supported from underneath by means of brace rods l 6 that are permanently, although pivotally, connected to the frame and which are adapted to be connected to the lower part of the freight car. When the frame is to be moved into a position adjacent, the roof, the rear rods [6 are moved into engaging relation with hook members 20 on the telescopic rods [2. The construction so far described is generally disclosed in the co-pending application for patent previously identified, and the 1 present invention is concerned only with the construction of the hooks 2i) and the method of fastening them to the telescopic rods l2.

As shown by Fig. 4, a U-shaped clip 2| is provided, which has slits 22 and 23 in its base portion and which are directed transversely to the legs of the clip. That portion of the base between the slits 22 and 23 is pressed outwardly in manufacturing the clip, as indicated at 24. The clip is then disposed against the outer surface of the rod I2, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3, and the legs of the clip are welded to the rod, as indicated at 26. The hook proper is provided with a straight portion 21 which has an aperture 28 and after the clip is fastened to the rod in the manner mentioned, the straight portion of the hook is inserted in the clip until theaperture 28 is substantially in alignment with the base portion of the clip between the slits 22 and 23. Then, by using a suitable tool, the outwardly pressed base portion of the clip is pressed inwardly through the space between the slits and into the aperture 28 in the hook, so as to positively lock the hook to the clip. It will be noted that the depth of the legs on the clip substantially corresponds to the thickness of the straight portion 21 of the hook and when the parts have been locked together, as mentioned, a positive and tight connection is secured.

It will be apparent that this connection avoids welding the hooks to the rod l2 while obtaining a permanent, as well as positive, lock between the parts. It may be mentioned that it is one feature of the car loading device to have all of the parts permanently connected to the freight car so that they cannot be removed readily, as it will be appreciated if any part, regardless of how minor it may seem to be, is removed, considerable delay from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a support, a U-shaped clip having its legs welded to the support, and a member having an apertured portion projecting into the clip, said clip having spaced slits in its base portion and the metal between the slits being pressed into such aperture to lock the parts together.

2. In combination, a supporting member and a member to be supported thereby, a unitary resilient means for releasably engaging and holding one of said members, said resilient means having an apertured shank for attachment to the other of said members, and means for permanently attaching said resilient means to the other of said members comprising a clip integrally secured to said other member and having a portion spaced from said other member to define a slot for the reception of the apertured shank of said resilient means, said clip having a portion thereof permanently deformed to extend into said aperture for locking the resilient means to said other member.

SULO M. NAMPA. 

